Harmony HighlightsFor Wildcat Families

APRIL April 1 – 5 Spring BreakApril 8 8:00am Meet & Greet for Michelle Wehunt/long-term sub f for Mrs. Livingston/4th gradeApril 9 GMAS Testing – Grade 5 6:15pm GCPS Area Board Meeting at Central Gwinnett High SchoolApril 10 GMAS Grade 3April 11 GMAS Grade 3 4:00pm School Counseling Advisory MeetingApril 12 GMAS Grade 3 7:30am Community Meeting/Principal Survey in the Media C Center 9:00am PTA Board Meeting 10:30am PTA Committee MeetingApril 15 GMAS Grade 5April 16 GMAS Grade 5 9:00am Counselor Coffee Talk with ParentsApril 17 GMAS Grade 5April 18 GMAS Grade 3 7:00pm GCPS Board MeetingApril 19 GMAS Grade 3April 22 GMAS Grade 4April 23 GMAS Grade 4April 24 GMAS Grade 4 Kindergarten Field TripApril 25 GMAS Grade 5April 26 GMAS Grade 5April 29 GMAS Grade 4April 30 GMAS Grade 4

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Harmony Elementary SchoolSchool Council Nomination Form

Harmony Elementary SchoolSchool Council Nomination Form

ffor Parent Representative2019 - 2020

Name: __________________________________________

Grade level of children (in 2018-19): ___________________________

Previous school(s) attended by my children:

_______________________________________________________________________

My involvement in schools has been:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

I am interested in serving on the Harmony School Council because:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Qualities or ideas that I would bring to the school council include:

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Please return your completed nomination form to Mrs. Keskonis atHarmony Elementary School by Friday, April 26.

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Years ago the return to school meant a month of reviewing previously learned curriculum, but NO MORE!Early in August your child’s new teacher will assess to make sure your child retained their reading, AND writing skills from the previous school year. Sadly, each year many students have the “summer slide” and begin the school year behind their peers. We have found students who fall 2 or more levels behind due to not reading during the summer.The best way to prevent this is practice at least 15 minutes a day…in the car, during a meal or whenever you can find a moment!

Tips to Prevent Reading Slide in Readinghttps://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-tips-stop-summer-slide-213643622.html

● PBS Parents: How to Create a Literate Home

http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/ This website offers a section devoted to the "literate home," which includes tips for setting up literacy-rich home environments for children ages 0-8.

● Creating a Home Literacy Environment http://www.readingrockets.org/article/home-literacy-environment-checklist Support in creating the best home environment for your child.

● Education Place: Monthly Themes http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/ Each month, this website spotlights a seasonal theme and provides a list of related activity ideas and web links.

● Education.com http://www.education.com Education.com is an online resource for parents with kids in preschool through grade 12.

● Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site http://www.carolhurst.com/ This site is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas for using books in the classroom, and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes, and professional topics.

● Gwinnett County Public Library Literature Sitehttps://www.gwinnettpl.org/

Great place to find information about book talks at the library.● Tumblebooks

http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/home_tumblebooks.asp

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http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/http://www.eduplace.com/monthlytheme/http://www.education.com/http://www.education.com/http://www.carolhurst.com/index.htmlhttps://www.gwinnettpl.org/

Students are currently working on:K – texture1st grade –painting & collage2nd grade – clay3rd grade – Vincent van Gogh4th grade – perspective & point of view5th grade – printmaking ***Students that were featured in the GCPS annual Tapestry on the Arts art show: Tapestry 2019 Caitlyn Kellogg, Sienna Regocki, Stella Nyugen, Erik Bardelli, Zoe Wilson, Adelyn Lee, Rosemary Troseth, Caroline Nix, Zachary Jokhan, Layla So, Colton Muse, Malia Campbell, Ben Vo, Nicole Larionesi, Claire Dorin, Daniel Perez Cepeda, Ivy Nyugen, Krista Kemp, Luca Bardelli, Kristen Alvarenga, Abigail Nix, Diane Yelou, Ty Miller, Alonna Foster, Taylor Abbiatti, Janessa Manguno, Elle Schrage, Tegan Vera, Addie Nebel, Zachary Orwin, Paige Farber, Alexsa Ford, Josiah Gaston, Caleigh Adams, Lauren Kim, Madison Southenthoup, Trinity Lee, Phoebe Tan, Emme Harshaw

Sincerely yours in Art Education, Maryann Craig

Harmony’s young scientists are hard at work. We are exploring our world through science. First graders are learning about weather. They will learn different types of precipitation. Our 2nd graders will be learning about life cycles. Your 2nd grade student will be studying and making models of life cycles of animals.Harmony 3rd graders are learning about regions of Georgia and their habitats. We are learning about the animals and plants in Georgia. Harmony‘s 4th graders will be learning about sound. They will learn about the nature of sound. They will also learning about sound waves. The 5th graders are investigating electricity. We will be learning about circuits, insulators and conductors. Students are encouraged to see themselves as scientists as we explore our amazing world. Scientifically yours,Mary McElroy

Science

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Kindergarten & 1st grade performance was fantastic! Thank you parents for coming out and supporting us! Each student worked so hard and very proud of their hard work! We will continue to learn how to play on different instruments by keeping the steady beat and exploring how each instrument can make different sounds. They are constantly exploring, moving, and learning in the music specials. Second and Third grade is continuing to learn more about rhythms and learning how to improvise on their instruments. We are learning solfege of Do, Mi, So and the differences between step, skip, and same on the barred instruments. Fourth and Fifth grade is continuing to learn how to read music. We will start learning how to play on the recorders by reading the notes on the music staff. Save the Date!Orff Ensemble Concert is May 16th at 6PMHope to see you there!

Happy Spring!!!! Our annual FIELD DAY event is right around the corner!!! This year Field Day schedule will be as follows:

May 14th-4th grade in the morning and 2nd grade in the afternoonMay 15th-5th grade in the morning and 3rd grade in the afternoonMay 16th-K in the morning and 1st grade in the afternoon

Morning Field Day is from 9:00-11:40. Afternoon Field Day is from 12:25-3:05.

I will need lots of volunteers to make this event a success. Volunteer forms will be going home in a few weeks. If you are able to help any of the days for Field Day, I would greatly appreciate it! If you volunteer, you will still be able to see your child participate in their Field Day. Thank you in advance for all of your help. I’m looking forward to our 2019 Field Day event! Stay healthy and active, C. Ayers-HES PE

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The Core Rules of Netiquette (how everyone should act online)1. Don’t be mean or rude to others online. Use emoticons or smiley faces to show when you are joking.2. Tell a trusted adult if someone is mean or rude to you online. Never respond to mean messages; you might start an online fight, also called a “flame war.”3. Don’t type in ALL CAPS. That means you’re yelling.4. Use appropriate language online. You could be kicked off a website for using bad words.5. Don’t send or forward spam. No one likes to get junk mail and it could contain a virus that could hurt your computer.6. Don’t share secrets online, including passwords and personal information.7. Don’t steal files, music, or movies. It’s illegal!8. Help “newbies” learn about the Internet. “Newbies” are people new to the Internet or a particular website who may not know all the rules yet. Remember, you were once a “newbie” too.

Mrs. Lee will be returning from her maternity leave just before Spring Break. We look forward to having her back.

She will continue the work fourth and fifth grade students have started with Mr. Flemish on their Genius Hour projects. These should be very exciting when completed.

Second and third grade will begin a new project after spring break that should prove to be very exciting as well.

I will miss my students, and appreciate the opportunity I have had to work with them as they grow, learn and discover.

Thanks! Mrs. Couch

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ALLERGIES! ALLERGIES! ALLERGIES!

It’s that time of year! If your student needs an inhaler to help with allergies, please stop by the clinic to drop it off and fill out the forms. Also, if your student needs to use a nebulizer during the school day we can accommodate that need!

One strategy to help students during testing season: Focus on Confidence

Many families are nervous about the upcoming high-stakes tests. Our children have been working towards success all year on state and local tests. Be sure to reassure them that all their hard work this year will pay off. This is a time for them to shine and be proud! Encouragement is one way to help students during the testing season.

Never underestimate the power of confidence, which is the ultimate goal above a good test score. You want your child to walk into school confident every day, Be the supportive voice, offering encouragement as they work on their homework and tests. Make yourself available to field questions. You can also instill confidence by giving them space and time to do their work, showing them that their study time is important and they have a say in it.

A big reason students experience test anxiety is fear of the unknown. But if you emphasize how well your child knows the concepts to be covered on the test, he should feel more ready.

Help, don’t hover. If you sense you are almost doing their homework for them, you probably are. Your child needs to be an independent student to succeed. “It’s important to help your child, support them, check in with them, and steer them in the right direction if they are going in the wrong, but,” Simpkins says, “make sure they get the concepts without doing the work for them.”

When in doubt about how to support your student, go to the source. “Sit and listen. Let your child teach you. That can make it a lot of fun,”

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April is National Poetry Month!

Poetry is one of our favorite genres to read and write in the Media Center. Reading poetry out loud encourages fluency. Many poets also play with language, offering interesting examples of the many things words can do.

This month, we will celebrate poetry throughout the school. Students will see sports poetry near the gym, food poetry by the cafe, and water poetry by the water fountains. We will explore the different ways poetry can express feelings, ideas, and knowledge. Reading poetry aloud is also excellent for fluency.

Many students will celebrate Poem in Your Pocket Day this month as well.

Ask your student what they are learning about poetry!

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Media Center

Math

Ways a Parent Can Help with MATH1. Look for shapes and patterns in real life.2. Have your child measure ingredients for a recipe you are making.3. Ask your child to explain the math skills he or she is working on in school.4. When helping your child with homework or school assignments, ask him or her to

explain how he or she got an answer.5. Help your child find appropriate number and problem-solving games to play online.6. Play card or board games that involve counting or patterns.7. Ask your child to count change at the grocery store, or to estimate the total cost while

you are shopping.8. Compare: Which is the tallest?... longest?... smallest?...fastest?... hottest?... most

expensive?9. Have tools such as a ruler, scale, calculator, and a measuring tape available to use in

your house.10. Encourage your child to track or graph scores or stats for a favorite sports team.11. Use dice or playing cards to make a game out of practicing math facts.

Point out ways math is part of “real” life: money, music, computers, art, construction, cooking… All around us, every day.